Edition · 05 · vs PushPress
Comparison

OLM vs PushPress

PushPress is built for the modern strength + functional fitness gym. OLM is built for martial arts. Both are good — at different things. Here's the honest breakdown.

Who's writing this

A jiu jitsu student building software for the academy he trains at.

I train at a gym that uses this app, and I build the product. If the table below says PushPress beats us on something, it's because they do.

The honest read

PushPress is one of the most polished gym platforms on the market — a deep CRM, a strong lead-capture funnel (PushPress Capture), an integrated payments product (PushPress Pay), and a community feed (PushPress Engage) for existing members. It's the right pick for CrossFit and functional-fitness gyms with active marketing motions and a sales pipeline. OLM is narrower on purpose: martial-arts-native belt tracking, multi-discipline rank history, seminar ticketing, training journal + AI coach, your own Stripe account, zero subscription. One structural difference worth flagging: OLM is also a consumer-facing app — it surfaces your gym to martial-arts students searching for an academy or drop-in in your area, which means we're invested in growing your member base, not just charging to manage it. PushPress Engage is internal-facing only. If you want a marketing + ops bundle for a strength gym, PushPress. If you run a BJJ / judo / muay thai academy and want a software vendor that's also bringing demand to your door, OLM.

14

OLM wins

3

PushPress wins

2

Ties

What matters most

Built for

OLM

Martial arts academies (BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, MMA)

PushPress

Strength, CrossFit, functional fitness, group training

Starting price

OLM

$0/mo · 2% on memberships ($2 min) · 3% on seminars/merch/drop-ins · free POS · zero processing markup

PushPress

Grow plan ~$159/mo; Max tier sales-quoted

Per-member fees

OLM

None

PushPress

Tier-based caps; overages push you up a plan

Full feature breakdown
CategoryOLMPushPress

Built for

Martial arts academies (BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, MMA)
Strength, CrossFit, functional fitness, group training

Starting price

$0/mo · 2% on memberships ($2 min) · 3% on seminars/merch/drop-ins · free POS · zero processing markup
Grow plan ~$159/mo; Max tier sales-quoted

Per-member fees

None
Tier-based caps; overages push you up a plan

Belt & rank tracking

First-class — per-discipline, portable across gyms, full promotion lineage
Not included; workaround via custom fields

Multi-discipline ranks

A judo black belt joining your BJJ gym keeps their judo rank — separately from BJJ
Single-rank model

Portable member profiles

One profile across every OLM gym — journal, check-ins, belt lineage travel with the member
Profile scoped to the gym

Training journal / AI coach

Included — 8-axis chart, voice-note transcription, technique heatmap
Not available

Seminar & one-off ticketing

Built-in — seminar product, registrations, flat 3% fee
Workflows around class packs / events; not a dedicated seminar product

Churn prediction

Built-in AI Monitor with 14-day lead time
Retention reports; no predictive flagging

Lead capture & nurture

Basic — invite links, email broadcasts
Strong — PushPress Capture is a core part of the product

Community feed

Not included
PushPress Engage social feed for members

Billing rails

Stripe Connect — your Stripe account, your payouts, your customer relationship
PushPress Pay — funds route through their integrated processor

White-labeled member app

True white-label — your colors and logo on the app members install (no OLM branding visible to members)
Branded member app; custom-app on higher tiers

Demand pipeline / member discovery

Consumer-facing OLM app surfaces your gym to martial-arts students and drop-ins — we grow when you grow
PushPress Engage is an internal community feed for existing members — no external discovery

Onboarding

Self-serve, live in under 10 minutes
Sales-led onboarding, demo call required

Contract

No subscription — pay only per transaction
Monthly plan; annual discount common

Digital waivers

SHA-256 audit trail, IP stamp, minor-form parent signer, auto-renewal
Included

Kiosk & QR check-in

Included (kiosk, QR, geo, admin override)
Included

Programming / WOD library

Not included
Strong programming and workout-tracking integrations

PushPress wins on lead capture, community feed, and programming — we say so. Pricing and feature sets change — this page reflects a best-effort snapshot from publicly available info. Check their site directly before deciding.

Best fit

OLM is right if you're…

  • Martial arts academies — BJJ, judo, muay thai, karate, MMA
  • Gyms running multiple disciplines that need real per-discipline rank history
  • Owners who want to keep their own Stripe account and payout rails
  • Academies running seminars / smokers / competitions as a real revenue line
  • Anyone who refuses to sit through a demo call to get a quote

Best fit

PushPress is better if you're…

  • CrossFit affiliates and strength / functional-fitness gyms
  • Owners running an active lead-gen funnel who want a CRM-first product
  • Gyms that want a community feed for members built into the platform
  • Owners willing to pay a monthly fee for a polished, sales-supported package
OLM vs PushPress — FAQ

Honest answers, side by side.

What does PushPress do better than OLM?

Three things. Lead capture (PushPress has a stronger inbound funnel + nurture sequence built in), community feed (member-facing social feed inside the app), and programming integrations (WOD library, Wodify-style workout tracking). If any of those is core to your operation, PushPress wins.

What does OLM do better than PushPress?

Per-discipline rank tracking with portable lineage, training journal with AI coach, the white-labeled member app, and the pricing model (no monthly subscription — 2% on memberships ($2 minimum), 3% on add-ons). PushPress is broader; OLM is martial-arts-deeper.

Are both built on Stripe?

Yes — both use Stripe under the hood. OLM uses Stripe Connect Standard, which means your gym is the merchant of record (your own Stripe account, your own bank). PushPress's billing flow is also Stripe-based but the connection model differs slightly. Both are fine; OLM's is more transparent about ownership.

Can I run both at the same time during a transition?

Yes. Most gyms migrating from PushPress run both for 30-60 days — keep PushPress on the legacy roster, onboard new members on OLM, then migrate the remaining roster via CSV import once the new system is dialed.

Is PushPress cheaper?

Depends on your size. PushPress's published tiers start around $159/mo. OLM is $0/mo with 2% on each membership invoice ($2 minimum). For a 50-member gym, PushPress is cheaper at the lowest tier; for a 200+ member gym, OLM is typically cheaper because there's no monthly subscription. Run both numbers on your specific roster.

Still deciding?

Try OLM free. lose nothing.

No credit card to sign up. No contract once you go live. If it's not the right fit, you keep your Stripe account, your member list, and your data.